I often write about the bad state of television these days, but recently my mom told me about a story she saw on 60 Minutes that was inspiring, educational, and entertaining for the whole family. I went to the show’s website to see for myself. My mom was right. At a time when even Barbara Walters says she’s really bored with celebrities interviews, this one will not disappoint.
It’s the story of Derek Paravicini, a 30-year-old who was born three months early, physically disabled (he can’t button his own shirt), blind, and severely autistic(自闭的).
Yet, through total luck and coincidence, his family discovered that Derek had a remarkable musical talent when he was three.
Derek can hear any musical composition one time and play it perfectly on the piano.
That’s right. He only has to hear it once.
Even more unbelievable, his brain, like a computer, can keep many songs that he can immediately repeat when asked. But his talent isn’t limited to just learning things by heart. Derek is a true musical genius and artist who plays beautifully in a wide range of styles and can make his own music.
With his talent, Derek has raised millions of dollars putting on charity concerts. He also donates his time to senior centers where he acts as a human jukebox (自动唱机) machine, taking requests from senior citizens who haven’t heard their favorite songs for decades.
As it turns out, Derek loves people and his extraordinary talent has been the key to unlocking his personality and social development.
If you want to inspire your family, pop some popcorn and sit everyone down to watch this excellent piece of journalism. If your kids are like mine, it will cause a great family discussion about the definition of “disability” and the extraordinary ability of the human brain and spirit. It may even give you the perfect answer the next time your child says he or she “can’t” do something. Now that’s priceless.
Who says there’s nothing good on TV?
1. From the first paragraph, we know that 60 minutes is a TV program on .
A. interviewing celebrities
B. interviewing the disabled
C. the latest news round the world
D. stating the positive influence of TV
2. How does Derek help the elderly?
A. By buying them a jukebox machine.
B. By building senior centers for them.
C. By singing the old songs they ask for.
D. By playing the piano to raise money for them.
3. In the opinion of the author, Derek can .
A. attract the whole family to watch TV together
B. cause family members to help the disabled
C. help kids understand the ability of their brains
D. encourage kids to accept challenges in life
4.The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to .
A. prove that there is something good on TV
B. introduce a disabled but gifted musician
C. call on people to show more love to the disabled
D. express personal admiration for Derek Paravicini
新思维寒假作业系列答案科目：高中英语 来源：2013-2014学年四川省高三上学期12月月考试卷英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
Nowadays more and more people are trapped in too busy work to relax themselves. We have no time to tell a bed-time story to our children, or enjoy a nice dinner with our family, or take a break to think about how we live the precious life, or even meet friends. All we notice is that the distinctions that used to guide and steady us —between Sunday and Monday, public and private, here and there—are gone. We have more ways to communicate, but less and less to say. Partly because we’re so busy communicating.
Maybe that’s why more and more people I know, even if they have no religious belief, seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or tai chi. Some friends of mine try to go on long walks every Sunday, or to “forget” their cell phones at home. A series of tests in recent years has shown that their brains become both calmer and sharper after spending time in quiet rural settings.
In my own case, I often turn to extreme measures to try to keep my sanity and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all. I’ve not yet used a cell phone and I’ve never Tweeted or entered Face book. I try not to go online till my day’s writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan.
None of this is a matter of principle or asceticism (苦行主义): it’s just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better-----calmer, clearer and happier----than being in one place, absorbed in a book, a conversation, a piece of music. It’s actually something deeper than mere happiness: it’s joy, which David Steindl-Rast describes as “that kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.” That is the highest of the highest we have been longing for—The Joy of Quiet.
1.The writer sometimes doesn’t do anything because ________.
A. he is out of work
B. whatever he does makes no sense
C. he can enjoy himself in his leisure time
D. he is worried about his writing
2.What does the writer mean when using the word “forget” (in the 2nd paragraph)?
A. Trapped in busy work, they are really forgetful.
B. They think cell phone is not a suitable means of communication.
C. They leave their cell phones at home on purpose.
D. They hate modern techniques such as the cell phone.
3.Which of the following is right?
A. The writer is unwilling to help others since he is selfish.
B. Slowing down to find deep-down joy is necessary.
C. It is better to go back to the ancient times since we are so busy now.
D. We have more to say because we have more ways to communicate.
4.What is the main idea of the article?
A. The importance of spending time in quiet.
B. We can do some sports such as yoga to relax.
C. To feel better, we should do nothing at all.
D. The more we communicate, the better we will feel.
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科目：高中英语 来源：2014届四川成都外国语学校高二下期期中考试英语卷（解析版） 题型：其他题
用方框中所给短语的适当形式填空（每个短语只能用一次，其中有两个短语
多余的）（共10小题，每小题1分，满分10分）
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to some extent draw upon be identical to knock out knock over on behalf of break down lose interest in all at once go through be dying to be allergic to |
1. This is the hottest handbag design and every woman __________ get one.
2. ____________, the architecture of Kyoto(京都) is a mirror of the fascinating culture of ancient China.
3. Some bacteria are capable of _________ the human waste into natural gas and different
chemicals.
4. Older people are better at solving problems, because they have more life experience
___________than younger people do.
5. My cap _________ John's, so I often take his by mistake.
6. Storms ___________ power, but haven’t cooled off southern Asia.
7. So many thoughts of the past were now crowded into her mind___________.
8. I could see his discouragement and feared he ___________learning.
9. We spent several days ____________ all the related reference materials.
10. I'm writing _____________ my mother to express her thanks for your gift.
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科目：高中英语 来源：2012-2013学年河北正定中学高三第三次模拟考试英语卷（解析版） 题型：信息匹配
The benefits of keeping a journal (日志)
If you want to grow, one important thing you should do is keeping a journal. It may seem simple, but it can make a big difference in your life. I have been keeping journals for years. Writing all the lessons I learn and all the ideas I get has become a habit for me. 1. Here are some benefits you will get by keeping a journal.
◆ It prevents you from losing an idea. Have you ever gotten an idea only to lose it later because you didn’t write it down? 2. But then I developed the habit of writing down every idea that came into my mind as soon as possible. If I’m away from my computer, I usually write it down on a piece of paper that I bring wherever I go. I will then transfer the idea to the journal in my computer.
◆ It helps you review all the lessons you’ve learned. By reviewing your journal, you can quickly see the lessons you’ve learned and the ideas you’ve gotten. 3. You can use the ideas to propel (鞭策) yourself forward.
◆ 4. After keeping a journal for years, you can look back at it and see how far you’ve gone. Things that were big problems in the past might seem small today. The raw ideas you had in the past might have been realized today.
◆ It helps you expand your ideas. When you try to come up with a sentence to express an idea, you are thinking actively about it. 5. In the end, you will expand your ideas.
A．I often experienced that myself.
B．It trains you to express your thoughts.
C．It allows you to see your progress over time.
D．Just use whatever tool you feel comfortable with.
E. Thinking actively helps you connect your idea to another idea.
F. And to be honest, I can’t imagine what my life would be like without it.
G. Then you can do whatever necessary to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
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科目：高中英语 来源：湖南省两校2009-2010学年度高一下学期期中检测（英语试卷） 题型：单项填空
I often hear this English song _________on the radio.
|
A．sing |
B．singing |
C．to sing |
D．sung |
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科目：高中英语 来源：2010年江苏省高一下学期期末考试英语卷 题型：填空题
请认真阅读下面短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。
注意：每空一词。
Most people who travel from China to the US find that，despite having studied English for years，they have to “re—learn” it upon arriving．
Words that we learned in English classes are not pronounced the same way here．To truly be part of the “melting pot”，fluency（流利）in English is not enough．You need an accent to stand out．
When I first came to the US for graduate school，1 was a nervous foreigner．I felt so out of place that I wanted to hide everything about me that was “different”．To talk like an American became one of my goals．
During my first term as a teaching assistant(TA)，my students complained（抱怨） they could not understand me．I learned later from a study that this complaint was common among US students with an international TA．It is called the “Oh, no!” syndrome (情绪、举动)：“Oh，no! Not another international TA，and not that accent again!’’
So I imitated（模仿）the way native speakers talk and，over time，I made such good progress that American friends started to praise my English as having “almost no accent’’．I took this as a sign of my success．Ever since．people have often mistaken me for someone from many places：the Midwest，the West Coast，China，Japan，South Korea．Most frequently，people think I am from California．
Suddenly，conformity (一致) was no longer a praise：If I talk like an American，am I still Chinese? If I lose my Chinese accent，do I also lose my cultural identity? Am I denying（否认）my past by being absorbed into（沉浸于）a new culture?
Now I realize that a person’s accent is a permanent（永久的）record of their past cultural experience and it is a mark of one’s experience and exposure to different cultures．
As a fourth-year student in the US，I am no longer a nervous foreigner．My nervousness has been replaced by a desire to hold on to my cultural origins．Now I consciously（有意识地）add some Chinese “accent” when I speak．I do not wish to speak “perfect” English because I am proud of who I am．
|
My Feeling of Speaking English in America |
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Time |
Supporting details |
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At the (71) ______ |
I have to relearn English (72) ______ arriving there, for my pronunciations of words are (73) ______ from native speakers. |
|
My students complained that I couldn’t make myself (74)______. |
|
|
During my stay |
I made great (75) ______ in spoken English by imitating the (76) ______ native speakers talk. |
|
People often (77) ______ me for someone from the Midwest，the West Coast，China， California and so on． |
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Now |
I think it necessary to keep my (78) ______ origins. |
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I often add some Chinese “accent” consciously when (79) ______ English because I am (80) ______ of being a Chinese. |
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